Help towards Christmas meal for needy people

19/12/93

Hundreds of needy Western Australians will have a brighter Christmas this year thanks to the efforts of the State Government's Ministry of Justice.

Attorney General Cheryl Edwardes said the Ministry would use its resources to ensure that those in need had a hearty Christmas meal through providing meat, prepared salads and vegetables to a number of community organisations.

"Christmas should be a happy time for families, but for those in need the hardship is felt all the more keenly at this time of year," Mrs Edwardes said.

"However, organisations such as the Perth City Mission and the Salvation Army work hard to make sure the things that we take for granted, such as a Christmas lunch are provided."

Mrs Edwardes said the Perth City Mission would provide Christmas lunch for more than 2,000 needy people at the Perth Esplanade on Christmas Day - with the salads and vegetables for the meal to be supplied from the market gardens at the Karnet Prison Farm and Bunbury Regional Prison.

"To assist the Salvation Army, the abattoir at Karnet will provide meat from 30 sheep to enable some needy families to eat well this Christmas," she said.

"The Ministry will not be limiting its Christmas efforts to the metropolitan area, with assistance to be provided in Kalgoorlie-Boulder and Geraldton."

Mrs Edwardes said the Eastern Goldfields Prison would provide a Christmas meal to people in Kalgoorlie-Boulder who received the meals-on-wheels service, while the kitchens at Greenough Regional Prison would supply soup to the Geraldton branch of the Red Cross.

"In some small way, I hope the Ministry through its efforts will be able to make this Christmas a happy one for those in need," she said.

Media contact:  Casey Cahill 222 9595